Source: Microsoft
What you need to know
- AMD is the chipmaker behind PC graphics cards and the Xbox Series X.
- The company said that a "subset" of its test files for upcoming hardware was hacked.
- The hacker is demanding $100 million or she'll "leak everything."
- AMD says that the files aren't critical, and is working with the authorities.
AMD is the chip manufacturer behind the countless PC graphics processing units (GPUs) and even the 12.155 teraflops monster inside the Xbox Series X. While the company has been riding a wave of stellar publicity recently, it looks like it has quite a serious situation on its hands.
Today, Engadget reported that AMD has been hacked. The outlet said the following about what was leaked.
The chip designer has revealed that a hacker stole test files for... current and upcoming graphics hardware, some of which had been posted online before they were taken down. While AMD was shy on details, the claimed intruder told TorrentFreak that the material included source code for Navi 10... the future Navi 21 and the Arden GPU inside the Xbox Series X.
Even if a small amount of information was hacked, it could lead to other hackers exploiting vulnerabilities. It also has a lot of business ramifications since AMD is in direct competition with a couple of other companies. The story isn't over yet though. Engadget continued by saying the following.
The self-proclaimed hacker added that she wanted $100 million for the source code and threatened to 'leak everything' if there was no buyer. She reportedly found the GPU data in a 'hacked computer' in November, although AMD said it hadn't been approached until December. AMD doesn't appear to be bowing under pressure. It believes the stolen code is 'not core to the competitiveness or security' of its products, and said there was an 'ongoing criminal investigation.'
Hopefully, AMD will be able to determine what happened and recover the files. If you're worried that your Xbox Series X will suddenly stop working because it'll be hacked, you shouldn't. This fiasco mostly paints an image of poor security at AMD than anything else.
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